Carloading anchors for corrugated containers



y 4, 1957 J. MUIRHEAD 2,792,129

CARLOADING ANCHORS FOR CORRUGATED CONTAINERS Filed Oct. 1, 1953 794* Ila" IN YEN TUE JAME s MUIRHEAB ATTURNEY United States Patent ice g Ma, ,4, 1.57

CARLOADING AN CHORS FOR CORRUGATEH CONTAINERS Application October 1, 1953, Serial No. 383,610

2 Claims. (Cl. 214-105) This invention relates to container strapping anchors, and more particularly to an anchor for corrugated shipping containers whereby to facilitate strapping to gether rows of such containers.

Containers of the corrugated fiberboard type for shipping appliances and the like are formed of a tubular erect body portion of rectangular section, and the upper ends of the side panels are provided with flaps, which are adapted to be outwardly turned down and interlocked with a double U flap of the container cover, such flaps being held in turned-down interlocked position by strapping extending around the downturned flaps of the four sides of the containers.

Such containers are subject to damage by severe shocks and continuous vibration always present in carriers. is an object of the present invention to provide simple and expedient means for tying together a series of such cartons in rows, whereby shocks, jolts and other damaging shaking of the containers during transport will be prevented from moving one carton or container against another, with possible damage, as well as prevent such containers from shifting during transport. The invention is directed to a wire anchor for tie strapping, the anchor having a tongue insertable behind the interlocked flaps, and providing an upwardly extending loop, whereby a pair of such anchors may be positioned on the end containers of a row of containers, and steel strapping applied, to bind the row as one and cause the same to ride in unison. Containers thus strapped together withstand the shocks of transport, and are prevented from damaging one another.

The positioning of the anchor and the application of strapping to tie a row of containers together is made a simple and fast operation, advantage having been taken of the interlocking flaps to provide a pocket for receiving the tongue of the anchor.

The above and other novel features of the invention will appear more fully hereinafter from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. It is expressly understood that the drawings are employed for purposes of illustration only and are not designed as a definition of the limits of the invention, reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts:

Figure l is a perspective view of a series of fiberboard cartons arranged in alignment and held together by the strap and anchors of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional view through one of the end cartons, showing the lid and the interlocking flanges thereof, with one of the anchors in position and strapped in place; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the anchor.

Referring to the drawings, there is shown a series of cartons 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18, each of which comprises an upstanding rectangular-shaped tubular body portion 20 and a cover member 22. Each side of the tubular body portion along the upper margin thereof is provided with a flap 24, adapted to be turned down and interlocked in telescoping relation with a U-flap 236 along each side of the cover, each of such U-flaps comprising outer and inner portions 28 and 30, respectively. When the cover U-flaps and the body portion flaps on all four sides are interengaged in the manner shown in Figure 2, a steel strap such as 40 is arranged along the telescopic assembly of each carton and drawn tight.

Upon the arrangement of a series of cartons having the lids individually strapped in place in the manner previously described, such cartons being arranged in line as, for example, shown in Figure 1, there is inserted between the outer portion 28 of the cover flap, in its inturned position, and the side wall 20 of the carton, the tongue 42 of; a heavy wire anchor member, generally indicated as at 44. (See Figure 3.) Such anchor member is composed of the tongue 42 formed by abutting ends 46 and 48 of the wire to form a fiat base, and the flank portions 50 and 52. The tongue is integrally formed with a strapconnecting portion 54 composed of a short central section 56 extending parallel with the members 46 and 48 and of a length slightly greater than the width of the strap to be employed, and inclined lateral members 5'8 and 60 connecting the tongue flanks 50 and 52 through short joining sections 62 and 64. The strap connecting portion 54, together with the tongue, present an over-all U-shape, as will be apparent from a consideration of Figure 2.

The sections 62 and 64 are of a length substantially the combined thickness of the flaps 255, 24 and 3t and the strap-connecting member rises to a height above that of the tongue 46 by several thicknesses of the fiberboard material, plus a slight amount, so that a connecting strap 66 may extend across the top of the series of cartons as shown in Figure 1, without binding or injuring the cartons as at the corners 68. Such strapping 66 extends between the anchor 44, shown at the right hand end of Figure l, and a similar anchor 45, anchored in the flaps at the left hand end of the series of cartons, is drawn taut, and tends to spring the strap extension 54 toward the tongue 46, so as to tightly embrace the flaps 28, 2s and 30, as well as the strap 40. Such strap 66 is drawn suficiently taut between the anchor 44 and the anchor at the opposite end 45, so as to hold the cartons 10, 12, 14, 16, and 18 in compression engagement with one another, so that when such cartons are loaded upon a conveyance such as a freight car or truck, such cartons will be held against relative movement betweenone another. The group of cartons thus will ride as a unitary assembly, with a broad base, and will there by be in an improved position to withstand the shock and jostling well known to take place during transportation in freight cars, trucks, and the like.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the anchor is inexpensively formed from rod iron, and the tongue inserted wherever desirable to provide a loop for overall strapping. Where several rows of cartons are arranged side by side, cross strapping may be provided in accordance with the procedure set forth. in practice, rod may be employed, and the length of the tongue will depend on the width of the flaps. in one form of container, such tongue is about 3 /2" long, whereas the strap loop extends upwardly about 5".

While a single embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited thereto. As various changes in the construction and arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, reference will be had to the appended claims for a definition of the limits of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination with a plurality of substantially rectangular shipping containers arranged side by side in a row, each having a body portion tubular in form and having a cover, and cover and body portion flaps inter folded and depending from the upper marginal edge of the body portion exteriorly thereof downwardly over the upper portion of the container side walls, steel strapping extending around the interfolded and depending flaps of each container, anda pair of anchors located at opposite ends of the row, each anchor having a tongue portion projected between said flaps and the side wall of the container, and having an integral loop portion extending upwardly over the exterior of said flaps to a point lying substantially in the plane of the cover, and a steel strap connecting the loops of said anchors, and extending across the covers of the row of containers.

2. An anchor for carloading drum type corrugated shipping containers having interlocking cover and side flaps comprising a stifi wire frame comprising a fiat base inverted U-tongue adapted to be inserted between the flaps and the container side wall, and an inverted flatbottomed V-por-tion lying in a plane parallel to the plane of the U-tongue but spaced therefrom by a distance sufficient to allow for the thickness of the side and cover flaps, said U-tongue and said V-portion having their respective free ends connected by short member portions extending transverse to said planes, said V-portion having a greater depth than said U-tongue, the flat bottom of said V-portion being of a length less than half the length of the flat base of the U-tongue, and extending parallel with the fiat base of said U-tongue, said anchor being formed of a single length of stiff wire, with the ends thereof meeting in abutting relation in the flat base of the U-tongue the depth of said U-tongue being two-thirds or more of the depth of said V-portionv References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,612,309 Potts Sept. 30, 1952 

